Illinois Review

Superman Movie Disses The American Way

By Mark Rhoads

Back in 1972, the Chamber of Commerce in Metropolis, Illinois persuaded both DC Comics and the Illinois House of Representatives to declare that Metropolis was the bona fide "hometown" of Superman even though he was born on Krypton and was raised in Smallville.  The fiber glass statue of Superman in the Metropolis town square carries the famous legend at its base, "Truth, Justice, and The American Way."

In July, when a new Superman Returns movie comes out from Warner Brothers, the phrase will be replaced, this is not a joke, by the line read by actor Frank Langella playing the part of The Daily Planet editor Perry White: "Truth, Justice, and all that stuff."  The great filmmaker and American patriot Jack Warner, co-founder of Warner Brothers, will be spinning in his grave tonight if he is not already.  This is an unbelievably sad commentary on the ultra Left Wing values of Hollywood in 2006 vs. the values of most Americans. The screen writers are quoted at length in today's Washington Post.

Another Day ... Another Industry Targeted by Blago

By Thurlow Weed

He chased more than 20,000 truckers out of Illinois by hiking their "fees" ... now he's set his sights on Illinois' mom-and-pop dry cleaning businesses.

The Chicago Tribune reports that a group representing almost 1,400 dry cleaners in Illinois is concerned because the Blagojevich administration wants to triple their fees -- after draining about $300,000 from the Illinois Drycleaner Environmental Trust Fund.

The administration is planning to hike the minimum licensing fee for dry cleaners from $500 to $1,500.

Is any Illinois employer safe from the Blagojevich Administration?

Illinois Hall of Fame: L. Frank Baum

By Mark Rhoads

Lyman Frank Baum was born near Syracuse, New York in 1856.  HIs father worked as a barrel maker but later became wealthy in the oil business.  In the 1870s as a young man, Baum's father put him in charge of managing some theaters and in 1881 he wrote and published a successful musical play called The Maid of Arran.  He married Maud Gage in 1882 whose mother was a major figure in the campaign for woman's suffrage and was a friend of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  He tried to be a newspaper publisher but his early ventures failed, including a newspaper in South Dakota.  Frank often struggled with poor health.  He moved to Chicago in 1891 to work as a reporter for the Chicago Evening Post.

School Choice...It Isn't Just For Big City Kids Anymore

The Institute's Collin Hitt explains how rural school choice can work in today's SJ-R.

It's a good read.

Link: SJ-R.COM - Choice-based reforms can help rural schools thrive.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Arthur J. Goldberg

By Mark Rhoads

The life of Arthur J. Goldberg was a classic rags to riches story in the tradition of Horatio Alger.  He was born in 1908 on the west side of Chicago.  Arthur was the youngest of eight children of Russian Jewish immigrants.  His father was a peddler who delivered fresh produce in a horse-drawn wagon until his heart gave out in 1916.  After their father's death, the seven older children quit school to go to work in order to support the family.  But as the youngest at only 8, Arthur was encouraged to continue his education.  Starting at the age of 12 after school and on weekends he worked odd jobs wrapping fish, selling shoes, and selling coffee to Cub fans at Wrigley Field.

Have You Had Enough Yet?

From the Tony Peraica for Cook County Board President campaign:

With last night's announcement that John Stroger will remove himself from the ballot for November's General Election - and will instead push for his son, 8th Ward Alderman Todd Stroger, to assume his place on the ballot - even a blind man can see the priorities of the Democrat Machine: politics takes precedence over governing.

John Stroger is reported to have decided to resign his position on the ballot and from his south-side County Commissioner seat . even as he remains in place as Cook County Board President. Even after much county business has grinded to a halt, Stroger and the Machine are content to leave Cook County government paralyzed under an absentee landlord, without direction and without leadership.

Opportunity Lost ... Again ... and Again ...

By Thurlow Weed

Well, the bad news continues for the Illinois business climate.  The latest:  Honda chooses Indiana over Illinois to build a new assembly plant. 

Should this come as any surprise?  The Blagojevich Administration has done its level best to destroy the state's business climate.  From raising more than 300 taxes and fees on Illinois employers (and chasing the trucking industry out of the state in the process), to blocking meaningful lawsuit reform, Blago should not be surprised that our state continues to shed good manufacturing jobs -- and, apparently, repel new ones.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Michel & Shriver

By Mark Rhoads

This article was based on a picture that I did not know was copyrighted by Corbis and therefore I have had to delete it.  The picture showed former Congressman Bob Michel (R-Peoria), (above) who served as Minority Leader of the U.S. House, and former Merchandise Mart President R. Sargent Shriver (below), who was the 1972 Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States.  They are shown in 1994 at a White House ceremony honoring winners of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  Both men were active members of the nonpartisan Illinois State Society of Washington, DC in the 1960s and Michel was president of the society 1966-1967.

Bob Michel was born in Peoria on March 2, 1923 and attended Peoria public schools.  He served as a combat infantryman with the 39th Infantry Regiment in World War II from 1943 to 1945.  Michel saw service in England, France, Belgium, and Germany.  He was wounded by German machine gun fire and was awarded the Purple Heart, two Bronze Stars, and four battle stars.  He fought in the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes Forest on the German-Belgian border.  The bitter battle in severe winter weather raged from Dec. 16, 1944 to Jan. 25, 1945 and engaged more than 1,155,000 British, American, and German troops.  It was the largest single battle for 600,000 American soldiers since the combined Union and Confederate armies faced each other in 1863 at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War.

Obama is a dangerous man

by Fran Eaton

Barack Obama is a dangerous man. 

He's dangerous because he's smart, cunning and daring.  He demonstrated it once again today when he urged fellow Democrats in a Washington DC conference to tap into the energy and passion that drive churchgoers. 

Associated Press reports:

Obama said millions of Christians, Muslims and Jews have traveled similar religious paths, and that is why 'we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse. ... In other words, if we don't reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for, Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons will continue to hold sway.'

Then Illinois' junior U.S. Senator spontaneously shared his own soul-awakening experience a few years ago:

"Kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me," he said of his walk down the aisle of the Trinity United Church of Christ. "I submitted myself to his will and dedicated myself to discovering his truth."

There is no doubt that Barack Obama has been searching for years.  He was an independent young man when he challenged Bobby Rush in a Democratic primary.  He appeared thoughtful when asking questions in the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee.  He touches the hearts and souls of a troubled community when he calmly and soothingly responds. 

Therein lies the danger.  You expect him to be as obnoxious as Dick Durbin or as abrasive as Hillary Clinton,  but he's neither, despite the fact he is right on track with their radical leftist agenda.  Obama's strength is the manner in which he presents himself.

Shortly after he won his U.S. Senate seat in 2004, Obama returned to his Springfield stomping grounds to do a victory lap and thank all those who supported him.  He was walking alone along the rail, and I reached my hand out to congratulate him on winning the race against his Republican opponent Alan Keyes.   

Previously, he and I had had a few discussions about the Born Alive Infant Protection Act he so adamantly opposed in the Illlinois Senate.  It had been a hot topic during the 2004 U.S. Senate debates.  But with some agreements and some amendments (which I am sorry to say weakened the legislation) it appeared that the Illinois General Assembly would soon be passing the bill into law, with Governor Blagojevich's signature.  An agreement had been reached because Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion lobby were assured protecting newly-born babies would not infringe upon abortion in any way.

"Senator, this year Illinois is going to pass a law protecting babies born alive," I told him.  I waited for a reaction.  In a split second, he continued to shake my hand and said, "I know, and I want you to know I've encouraged the Democrats to support that legislation. . ."

Obama's good.  He's very, very good.  He will do what it takes to win.  It's what makes him so dangerous.

I suppose it's only a matter of time before Obama, like Blagojevich, will have some Illinois conservatives helping him, too.  After all, he at least recognizes the need to reach out to churchgoers, right? 

Another conservative joins the Blago campaign

by Fran Eaton

Yesterday, conservative columnist and talk show host Tom Roeser joined the Topinka Tattler in promoting Rod Blagojevich for Governor.

Now before I get sliced and diced for the headline above, please read these words from Mr. Roeser's latest entry:

Thus I can say that of the two candidates running, I support neither but prefer that the governor win because (a) I cannot believe Ms. Topinka will take anything but the most opportunistic course which would involve the speedy selling-out of any stands to which she has earlier adhered and (b) most important, believe that were she to win, she would consign the Republican party-using all the levers of the governorship at her whim-to further demobilize its ability to act as an independent vehicle for change in government, serving the Combine to which she has been so faithful a steward.

Tom Roeser prefers Blagojevich.

I'm beginning to wonder if Rod Blagojevich isn't one of the luckiest politicians in Illinois history.  It amazes me that he beat out several serious, thoughtful Democrats in 2002 to run against a bruised up and weakened Republican Jim Ryan, only to become Governor of one of the nation's key states.

After four years, he's facing federal investigations, he's plagued with scandal, he's chased business out of Illinois, he's end-runned the state legislature with executive orders that slapped Catholics and evangelicals' religious convictions, he's spent the state into being one of the nation's poorest, and used that money to entice constituents with socialistic universal health care and universal preschool programs.

But even with that, he may be re-elected with the help of the staunchest conservatives in the state.

Who would have ever thought we would have come to this?

Flag Amendment Fails by One Vote

By Mark Rhoads

Since the post below was published, on Tuesday night the US Senate failed by just one vote to pass an Amendment to the US Constituion that would allow Congress to enact legislation to protect the American flag from desecration.  Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama both voted against the amendment.  The measure received 66 affirmative votes, one short of the two-thirds affirmative vote required by Article V of the Constituion for Congress to propose an amendment, already passed by the House, that would then be sent to the fifty state legislatures for debate and votes on ratification.

I don't know if the amendment could have resulted in successful prosecutions that were nullified by a 1989 Supreme Court case called Texas v. Johnson.  As a practical matter, maybe its true that the amendment would be difficult to enforce through legislation to implement it.  But that is why it only empowered Congress to pass laws on this topic.  It would not by itself reverse Texas v. Johnson, but would give Congress the opportunity to fashion a new law that would not be overly broad and might meet the court's objections.

Old Glory deserves our honor, our respect and our protection

The U.S. Senate is likely to vote this week on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow Congress the power to prevent the physical desecration of the United States flag.

Magenta Illinois

"Illinois isn't a blue state, it's magenta. . .or so says centerdem today on his Daily Kos diary.

Liberal-leaning blog Daily Kos is in a bit of a tizzy today, worried about how much damage the Green Party slate could do to Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich's re-election in November.

While eyes were focused on Rev. Meeks'  elusive challenger threat, the Greens got the job done. They accumulated over 25,000 signatures, enough to survive a petition signature challenge, and are now ready to rumble. 

Evidently there's concern that there must be some very discontented Democrats looking for another voting option. 

"A vote for the Green Party is a vote for Judy Baar-Topinka," one hysterical commenter wrote.

Illinois Hall of Fame: Dr. Mae Jemison

By Mark Rhoads

As a young girl growing up in Chicago, Mae Jemison loved to watch the original Star Trek TV series (1966-1969).  Mae says that her role model was actress Nichelle Nichols who grew up in Robbins, Illinois in south Cook County. Nichelle played the role of the communications officer on the Star Ship Enterprise, Lt. Uhura.  Nichelle started her career as a singer for the Duke Ellington Orchestra before she auditioned for Star Trek. Robbins was also the hometown of Janet Harmon Bragg, an aviation columnist for The Chicago Defender, who was the first African-American woman to earn a commercial pilot's license in 1943 to fly passengers and cargo.  And Janet's role model was aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman of Chicago who was the first African-American woman to earn an international pilot's license for a single engine plane in 1921.

IR Q of the day: Did the NYTimes tell too much?

How much information is just too much?

U.S. Congressman Peter King (R-NY) is looking for a way to prosecute the New York Times for doing a story over the weekend that reveals an intelligence operation that was tracking terrorist financial transactions.  When Vice President Dick Cheney was in Chicago last week, he blasted the media for aiding the enemy with the story. 

What do you think?  Does the American public have a right to that information?  Or are there some things we are better off not knowing? 

Could the NYTimes story revealing covert operations backfire and actually harm the American public?

Should we be accessing foreign banking information because terrorists may be involved?

Discussion around the IR cooler this morning . . .

Three more join the governor's race

Today the last day for independents to file for candidacy, three new challengers filed to run for governor . . . Randy Stufflebeam for the Constitution Party, Rich Whitney of the Green Party and James (Shinn) Blaine of the Independence Party.

Although Stufflebeam did not reach the minimum number of petitions signatures, he could remain on the ballot if they were not challenged.  The possibility of such a development is very unlikely.  Stufflebeam told McHenry County Blogger Cal Skinner that he expected the Republican Party to challenge his signatures.

Stufflebeam, a staunch conservative prolifer, would be the only gubernatorial candidate holding pro-life, pro-traditional family values positions. Both Stufflebeam and Whitney filed as part of a slate. 

Whitney and the Green Party submitted more than 25,000 signatures, they claim. 

The Independence Party candidate did not file as part of a slate as required by law, and is likely to be tossed off the ballot as well.

Hat tip: McHenry County Blogger Cal Skinner

Ozzie's Critics Calling Kettle Black

by Scott Thomas

Ozzie Guillen, manager of my beloved World Series Champion Chicago White Sox, said a really stupid thing.  Ozzie Guillen was insensitive.  Ozzie Guillen was offensive.  When Ozzie Guillen called Chicago Sun Times columnist Jay Marriotti a "f-----g fag", he offended not only homosexuals, but thousands of grown adults who've learned to express themselves in ways that show an intelligent command of language.  Ozzie Guillen was flat out wrong.

Are Earmarks Really a Big Deal?

By Mark Rhoads

I used to edit a newspaper for Citizens Against Government Waste (www.cagw.org) which was then chaired by J. Peter Grace who also chaired the Grace Commission under President Reagan.  That commission 22 years ago made hundreds of recommendations to reduce government waste and while some were adopted, many were not. Few conservatives and some liberals don't like government waste. I read General Accounting Office (GAO) reports which I thought were well researched and I praised inspectors general who found waste and corrected it.  CAGW continues to offer a yearly pork report called The Pig Book and has recently praised Members of Congress such as Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) for offering practical amendments to reduce pork in several department budgets.

Like most people, I look down on "pork barrel" spending and special projects that Members of Congress promote that have only a local appeal and may not be needed at all from a national perspective.  But if you sense the word "however" in the near future here it is.

However, compared to so many different ways that the federal budget can get out of control, I wonder just how much pork barrel spending or "earmarks" by Members of Congress contribute to the budget deficit compared to say, a clerical error in calculating the so-called "automatic" cost of living increase for social security payments.

IN FOCUS: Michael Powers, GOP candidate for Third Appellate District – Part 1

By Fran Eaton, IR editor

Some people get into politics to pick fights.  Others prefer cultivating peace.

Will County Associate Judge Michael Powers says he wants to be elected to Illinois’ Third Appellate District because he enjoys the challenge of peacefully settling legal disputes.

“When I was in private law practice, I worked as an arbitrator and was requested often to be the lead on three-person arbitration panels,” he told Illinois Review recently during an interview at his downtown Joliet office.  “I was told I did a good job in that role.  I enjoy the resolution of disputes.”

Appointed in 2003 to serve as a Will County associate judge, Powers is in the middle of his first political campaign and is discovering the challenges of running for an office that restricts him from personally soliciting campaign donations or openly expressing his opinions on topics that may come before him at the Appellate Court level.

[Judge Michael Powers is pictured above right of State Senator Ed Petka (R-Plainfield)]

Illinois Hall of Fame: Everett Dirksen

By Mark Rhoads

Everett McKinley Dirksen straddles the line between history and legend.  The most famous quote attributed to Everett cannot be documented by scholars at the Dirksen Congressional Center.  The quote is often presented as "A billion here, and a billion there, pretty soon you're talking about real money."  It sure does sound like a Dirksen quote.  But while a version of the first part of the sentence was said by Dirksen in 1962, the "real money" part was not part of it.  But because Ev Dirksen had a good sense of humor and great style, the dubious quotes and anecdotes live on.  He could be eccentric, as when he campaigned to make the Marigold the national flower.  Another story told about Dirksen may also be a legend that cannot be documented.  This one said that he was campaigning outdoors in front of a court house in Tazwell County when a local union organizer heckled him.  "Dirksen you're a bum, I wouldn't vote for you if you were St. Peter." the man hollered.  Dirksen supposedly replied, "Sir, if I were St. Peter, you wouldn't be in my district."